New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-03-27
DEMOLISHING AN OLD CHURCH.
THE OLD MIDDLE DUTCH EDIFICE GOING


NO DEMAND FOR ITS STONE CoLUMNs-wHAT MIR.
MOULD WOULD HAVE DONE WITH THEM.
Those who desire final glance Mt a relic OF the New
York at City year, ago ru I see within a few days
what rema rs OF Middle Dutch Church Ill Lafayette
Place. The ckaxe and the crowhar have been busy
during the eek demolslug the old structure Long
sheets OF copper have been torn from the root The
root itself has now been removed ana several derricks
stand within the body OF the church amid the dust OF
failing plaster Tor hosting the stone from the solid
granite walls that hal century a2o were the wonder
admiration OF New orkcrs. who calculated that
the building mi hit onlast centuries. The facade with
its massive portico OF twelve grau'te columns that
have stood since the chuglh was built has not yet
been torn down, and this gives to this portion OF the
building appearance like that OF the prints OF
Grecian temples Ia ruins.
Each OF these columns is mOnolith OF granite
twenty-five feet in height and nearly three feet IN
diameter. Next to those that orh the group III the
ca tom House pOrtco they the longest III the cry
Each said weigh fifty tons and each is SAID 10
have cost originally - 600. When the Church was
being uullt these masses OF granite were drawn down
Broadway from the river front in special Conveyance
by procession OF iorty-cght pairs OF oxen Special
arrangements had to be constructed to put them into
place and the work was regarded az great acnie'c
mcDt engineering. IL Is not an easy task to tear
away the neavy walls but the removal OF these
columns IS still more difficult
SeagIst Son. the contractors who are tearing
down the church. have offered to give the columns to
any one VINO would remove Them but no one mas
responded Mr. SeagIst expects TO drill boes III tne
them and remove chem pcceneal To remove them II,
they stand immense derrcks would have to be erected
ana the would be too great as there 10 now no
demand for such pieces OF rock.
IL has been proposed that they should be removed
by the city and stored away in the parks to be used III
memOi ial structure hut the Park commissioners
say that they have use Tor them. jacob Wrey
Mould, tine architect OF Central Park who dfei last
year, maintained that il tIi, church or the custom
House torn down these columns could be USED 10
ADVANTAGE in completing one or more entrances 10
Central Park aul Ds thus preserved as menen'os.
The original plan OF the ark contemplated el'poiate
entrances at Filth, Sixth and Eighth ave, Ill fhiy-
nlnth-st Thee entrances were 30 be known az me
Scholars the Merchants ana the Citizens gate%ays.
Mr. Mould had made plans OF them by the direction OF
OF the former cnmml 'sOners and the plans are
filed away in the Park oihces One OIL theSe
gateways would cost moulded in Mr.. Mould's desi;ns,
not less than 200 900, and his idea was that they
should he built ~ tho subscriptions OF those whose
names the entrances bore. Inc Custom House col
umns, Mr. Mould thought might b" employed salts
factorily in the Merchants gateway
In the place OF the church there IN TO ne erected py
the Chassis OF the Collegiate Reformed Church large
slx-story brick building Tor manufacturing purposes.
1t has already been rented term of ten years at
We rly rental 1900 with renewal, and the new
building is expected to be nnishcd within year. Inc
few remaining members of the I'D congregation VIII
have joined other churches in the ncgh6orhooi oy tat
time Several large business blocks have taken the
places OF many dwellings IN Latayette-place within
few yeas and OF the old residences are To DC torn
down and changed this year. The architec ure %. the
church the fashion the whole street and when
It was built Lafayette place considered wealthy
suburban thOrOughta and the -ec0nd Vlslt OF
Lafayette to the United States was recorded IN Its
name The original site ct the Nid lie Dltch Church
wa, in Nassau-st., between Liberty and Cedar ats.
IL was built IN 1929 and during the Revolution was
occupied by the British troops and reopened by the
congregation after the eeacuiton OK New AieI
the church IN Laayetteplace hdd Deen ouht the Uiu
cnurch Ia NassaI-st. used tor many year" as ho
Post Office anc WAS finally torn down and the building
q. the Mutual Lille Insurance Company now occupies
s place. The church IN Llt1yete-plce was Modelled
after the best Athenln examples OF architecture It's
width - scyentyiye feet aud the extreme length lZo
feet. splrc wood and al one time arose ton
the front OF the root over the porilco tut ms was 20
little in harmony Will the old Grecian temple that 1t
finally removed. The roof arose IN dome over
the auditorium ana was covered with heavy plates Oh
copper Seats tor ii teen hundred persons were ar,
ranged in the church and the panels ami rails were all
OF mahogany. The pulpit was built OF the present
white marble and On either side % 1t stood Candida
bIum of bronze in "a Grecian design.
When the church was built there existed strong
prejudice against instrumental music and IL was some
years before this could be overcome and an organ
obtain Il. Tnis organ WAS removed fe" days aSo by
the senior member of the old bnn which placed II IN
the building nearly forty years ago In te basement
The lecture room mI Sunday-schoOl ROOM ana
the north the building wts 4 large yard the
len tn the church and thrty-iye feet wide IL was
divided into flower beds that carefully tended
aud the flowers bloomcd in tue bed all summer Under
these flower beds were thirty four burial Faults eacn
marked with the name of IN old Dutch family ana
filled with the remains OF these families Tor many
generations When the old church in Nassau-st was
lett OF the remains from its vaults were placed
near the newer church. ana during tue winter al
these vaults have again been cleaned out and the
family bones removed tor third time. At the rear
the garden stands old frame farm house shut ont
from the street. that stood there long before the church
built. "
In the Colonnade Hotel in Laiayete-pIace, which is
n repetition OF the Middle Church architecture
Henry George had his headquarters during his cam
pagri ior Mayor last tall Many memories OF the past
still cling to the neighborhoOd Traditions exist OF
good snIpe shooting about there early in the century,
Later it became popular resort as the Nauxhah
Gardens, in which stood statue OF Washington on
horseback and where orchestra played among the
tree. midsummer nights ID the theatre connected
with the garaens the father and mother OF Edgar A.
Poe are said 10 have played successful engagement
Iafaysfte.pace cut through the NsuXhall t,ardens
and they passed ont OF memory rs Bond, Beecker ana
Great Jones sta and the ncighborhood became the
homes OF prominent families OF New-fork. Inc
Astors lived tho street and have lett the Astor
Library "a, n monument Washington Irving passed
many years here Charles OCOnor had his home az
No Is Laay place. and before tho 9TH Regiment
had its present aimOry tho companies frequently
assembled Tor drill on the broad smooth pavement
Many publishing houses have established themselves
ia Laayctc place OF late years aud at present the
tendency seems TO be to make centre tor that trade